"The figure and symbolism are used metaphorically in my work, to touch upon broader universal themes.
Natural principles of light and gravity are bent to my purpose of creating an overall mood, and to achieve dream-like environments that speak to subliminal levels."
The interpretive narrative of Deborah Van Auten's dream-like environments are meant to transport, and to provide a platform for reflection and discovery.
Van Auten attended the University of Iowa during the late '60s, where such artists and writers as Lazansky, Ginsburg and Vonnegut were a source of inspiration, and she flourished in that highly charged creative environment. The Italian Renaissance painters left an indelible imprint on her as she explored the personal context of self-expression in her art.
Van Auten was drawn to city life and has spent her adult years in San Francisco, London, Boston, and New York where she studied at the Art Students League, School of Visual Arts, and was awarded a scholarship to the Salmagundi Club.
The multi award-winning work of Van Auten is in many private collections, and has been exhibited extensively nationally and internationally. She has been featured in such publications as Art News, Art in America, American Art Collector, Southwest Art Magazine, The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Art New England, and New Art International, among many others.
Van Auten is represented by Arden Gallery in Boston, the Patricia Rovzar Gallery in Seattle, and Cavalier Galleries in Nantucket and Greenwich, CT. She paints full time in her studio at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts.
''Beneath the whimsy and playfulness of Van Auten’s unique subjects, lies a profoundly contemplative air in which the artist points to soul, psyche and the power of transformation. Often depicting only a solitary figure, Van Auten’s ability to pair the impression of internal isolation with an intimate connection to humanity at large gives the viewer a sense of spaciousness in which there is much room to reflect. The buoyancy in her work and the lightness of composition is complimented by often full, ample figures which are frequently seen floating in mid-air. This coupling asks us to acknowledge the discordant reality of our free, airy souls and our gravity-ruled flesh. Her careful brushwork and saturated colors lend to an incredibly rich surface that enhances the illusion of her playful realism. Linking together both laughter and quiet meditation, Van Auten takes the viewer into a psychological space filled with mystery''
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